Just ask Sierra Holtzheuser, who had to condense months’ worth of master’s research about the importance of early literacy for economically vulnerable children into 180 seconds during Wednesday’s Three Minute Thesis (3MT) research communication contest at the Mapping the New Knowledges graduate research conference.

Not only that, she had to explain it as simply as possible within the time limit so that anyone outside the world of academia could understand.

Clearly, though, Holtzeuser, a master’s student in Child and Youth Studies, has a knack for breaking things down simply - and quickly - because it landed her first place in the competition.